Date of Award

Spring 5-30-2026

Document Type

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscript

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Autumn Roque, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to support a federal mandate requiring universal access to medication of opioid use disorder for all the justice-involved populations. The policy proposal aims to standardize evidence-based treatment across correctional systems, improve treatment initiation during incarceration, strengthen continuity of care after release, reduce overdose mortality, and address disparities in access for racial and economic groups and rural communities. This policy paper calls for the increase of access to medications of opioid use disorder across the United States for all justice-involved population. The opioid crisis has created a public health problem in the United States by causing increase in overdose deaths, involvement in carceral influence, and increasing rates of opioid use disorder both in society and in carceral population. By proposing a national policy for all states to implement, the goal is to follow progressive states like California and Massachusetts to improve access to MOUD in carceral and communities settings. The states with high access to MOUD in prison, jails, and communities have demonstrated great improvements in decreasing overdoses, improving health outcomes, within carceral facilities and in the communities. Although this is a challenging proposal, the overwhelming academic support for this evidenced-based practice, along with the successful implementation of similar programs in several states, demonstrate that expanding MOUD access is both feasible and necessary. Finding  financial and political support for these policies is a critical next step in reducing overdose deaths, improving continuity of care, and addressing treatment disparities with justice-involved populations.

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